Self-loading sand spreader and snow blade attachment for tractor



Nov. 27, 51 962 SELF-LOADING ;:s

K. -w. AKAMPERT AND SPREADER AND SNOW BLAD ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR iEi'led NOV. #4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v vENToE .265! 77-1 (Ilka/M1 flr-ro EN Ec K. W. KAMPERT 19 2 Nov 6 SELF-LOADING SAND SPREADER AND SNOW BLADE 3065556 ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4', 1960 flaw nae 7' A INvE/vroE AITOE v K. w. KAMPERT f 1962 SELF-LOADING SAND SPREADER AND SNOW BLADE 3065556 ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR Filed NOT. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 JTNT/ ENTOIE JZE/ EFT AITOE/v 5y Nov. 27, 1962 K. w. KAMPERTV 3,065,556

' SELF-LOADING SAND SPREADER AND SNOW BLADE ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR Filed Nov. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 wm"m 4O IN VENT-OE 185/774 ZJiZAMpsET MCD'W Afro EN E;/

Nov. 27, 1962 v k. w. KAMFERT SELF-LOADING S 3,065,556 AND SPREADER AND SNOW BLADE ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 4, 1960 ITHCZZ KAMPERT 3,065,556

K. W. SELF-LOADING SAND SPREADER AND SNOW BL ADE ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR Filed Nov. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 27, 1962 )ZE TH C(ZJZAMp E MD-W A775 EN sc F Patented Nov. 27, 1962 3,065,556 SELF-LOADING SAND SPREADER AND SNOW BLADE ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR Keith W. Kampert, Libertyville, IlL, assiguor to The Frank G. Hough Co., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 67,335 15 Claims. (43]. 37--117.5)

This invention relates generally to tractor-operated material-handling equipment, and more specifically to a sand spreader and snow plow arrangement for the front end of a tractor.

In the use of tractors for snow removal upon highways, many types of snow plow arrangements have been used in the art. A number of these snow plow arrangements include means for simultaneously spreading sand upon the roadway with the plowing of the snow. How ever, a number of disadvantages are inherent in much of the equipment presently used for such purposes. Firstly, and most importantly, the complete machine is not selfloading with respect to the sand which is to be spread, and of necessity, some loading means is additionally required. Further, such equipment generally is cumbersome, expensive, and not readily adaptable to existing types of tractor arrangements known in the art.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple snow plow and sand, cinder or salt spreader arrangement for a tractor wherein the tractor may be of the front-end loader type with portions of the tractor loader mechanism being used in combination with the snow plow and spreader attachment to produce a unique and economical arrangement for use in roadway work.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unitary device for plowing snow and spreading sand upon a roadway wherein the device is easily attachable to the front end of a front-end type tractor loader upon the removal of the digging bucket therefrom.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tractor and snow plow-sand spreader arrangement such as described above wherein the bin or bucket for the sand is self-loading from a sand pile deposited upon the ground.

, Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent upon a perusal of the following specification and drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 shows a side-elevational view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the machine of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the structure shown in FIGURES l and 2 and taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial side-elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE l with the machine operated to a loading position;

FIGURE 5 is a side-elevational view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the machine shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 and taken along the line 77 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a partial sideelevational view of the structure shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 with the machine operated to a loading position.

The present embodiments are the preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that changes can be made in the present embodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For a general description of the present invention,

reference is made to the drawings. Firstly considering FIGURES 1 through 4, which show the first embodiment of the present invention, the tractor is of the fourwheel rubber-tired type and carries portions of a conventional front-end digging bucket loader system thereon. These elements are a boom arrangement which may be raised and lowered by suitable hydraulic rams pivotally connected between the boom and the tractor, and a linkage arrangement pivotally connected between the tractor and the boom for normally pivoting a digging bucket to various positions relative to the boom. In place of the bucket, a certain container or modified bucket is pivotally connected to the forward end of the boom and the linkage means. This container is provided for the carrying of sand to be distributed upon a roadway. The container also fixedly carries a snow plow for scraping snow from a roadway. The first embodiment of the present invention carries a pair of ground-engaging wheels on the bucket, which ground-engaging wheels are operatively connected to a sand-agitating or distributing mechanism carried in the bucket or container. The ground-engaging wheels of the bucket also prevent the snow plow from digging downward into the ground. As may be seen in FIGURE 1, the tractor may be moved forwardly to pro ject the snow plow against accumulations of snow on a roadway and as the tractor moves forwardly, the groundengaging wheels of the bucket will rotate to operate the sand-agitating mechanism and the sand will drop through suitable feed holes in the bottom of the bucket and down upon the roadway. If it is desired to substantially stop the spreading of sand, it is merely necessary to slightly raise the boom to raise the ground-engaging wheels of the bucket above the roadway and to pivot the bucket until the lower edge of the snow blade, which is integral with the bucket, again engages the roadway. When the bucket is empty, the subject invention may be operated to the position shown in FIGURE 4, wherein the forward edge of the bottom wall of the bucket, which carries a cutting edge thereon, is lowered to ground level to engage a pile of sand upon the ground, so that when the tractor is then moved forwardly the bucket is again filled with sand. The arrangement is then operated to return the bucket and now blade or plow to the position shown in FIGURE 1 for further plowing of snow and spread ing of sand.

Turning next to a general description of the second embodiment of the present invention, that shown in FIG- URES 5 through 8, the difference between the second embodiment and the first resides most importantly in the changed position of the ground-engaging wheels of the bucket. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the wheels of the bucket agitator are carried adjacent the upper rearward portion of the bucket so that the boom may be lowered to lower the bucket to cause the wheels of the bucket to engage the upper forward surface of the front wheels of the tractor in rolling contact there with. In this position of the bucket and its pair of wheels, the snow plow or blade integrally formed with the lower forward portion of the bucket is in the proper position for snow removal. As the tractor is moved forwardly to plow the snow accumulations, the forward wheels of the tractor will drive the wheels of the bucket which, in turn, will operate the sand-agitating mechanism of the bucket. In the second embodiment of the present invention, a certain useful feature results when the two wheels of the bucket are both keyed to the shaft and consequently locked for rotation together as a unit. Since many of the tractors used in the loader art of the front-wheel drive type, the front wheels are subject to slipping on ice when the drive to the forward wheels of the tractor is through a conventional differential. The pair of wheels of the bucket of the second embodiment of the present invention,

by being locked together for rotation as a unit, will in engaging the forward wheels of the tractor prevent operation of the differential effect to prevent one of the forward Wheels from spinning on ice, while the other remains stationary on a portion of the ground wherein good traction may exist. The second embodiment of the present invention is also self-loading and, as may be seen in FIG- URE 8, positioning of the open end of the bucket down to the ground will enable the operator of the machine to fill the hopper by moving the tractor forwardly to project the hopper into a sand pile. Relative to both embodiments it should be noted that due to the particular constructions, the snow blade will not intefere with the loading of the bucket at ground level.

Turning next to a detailed description of the present invention, continued reefrence is made to the drawings. Describing the first embodiment of FIGURES 1 through 4, a tractor is provided with a frame 18- supported on four wheels 11, and with a rear engine compartment 12 and a forwardly placed operators compartment 13. The tractor carries certain boom and linkage means which may be substantially similar to those used on various frontend type tractor loaders such as for example shown in US. Patent No. 2,842,273. The boom 14 i formed in duplicate boom arm sections, one disposed on each side of the tractor. The rearward end of each section of the boom is pivotally carried on the tractor by pin means 15. The other end of the boom 14 extends forwardly of the tractor and is disposed near the ground when the boom is in its lowermost position. The boom 14 is raised and lowered by a pair of hydraulic rams 16, disposed one on each side of the tractor. The head end of each hydraulic ram 16 is pivotally connected by pin means 17 to a flange 1-8 which is secured to the frame of the tractor to de pend therefrom. The rod end of each hydraulic ram 16 is pivotally connected by pin means 19 to the boom 14 intermediate the ends thereof. Thus, it may be seen that when the hydraulic rams 16 are extended, the forward end of the boom 14 is raised, with retraction of the rams 16 resulting in a lowering of the forward end of the boom 14. The linkage means comprises a pair of hydraulic rams 2d, a pair of levers 21, and a pair of links 22. Each hydraulic ram 20 is pivotally connected at its head end to the tractor by pivotable mounting means 23. The rod end of each hydraulic ram 28 is pivotally connected to one end of the levers 21 by pin means 24. .Each of the levers 21 is pivotally connected intermediate its ends at 25 to one section of the boom 14 intermediate the ends thereof. In this arrangement, the other end of each of the levers 21 depends below the central portion of the boom 14. The lower or other end of each lever 21 is pivotally connected by pin means 26 to one end of one of the links 22. The links 22 extend forwardly of the tractor.

The sand bucket or container 28 comprises a pair of parallel spaced-apart side walls 29 interconnected by an upper wall 3t), a bottom wall 31, and a rear wall 32. The references as to directions in this description are based upon a bucket position such as shown in FIGURE 4. The upper and bottom walls, 30 and 31 respectively, of the bucket 28 are positioned and formed to be somewhat converging toward the rear wall 32. The forward marginal edge of the bottom wall 31 carries a cutting edge 33 so that when the bucket 28 is in the position, such as shown in FIGURE 4, the cutting edge 33 will aid in filling the bucket with the material to be spread. The bottom wall 31 is also shaped to provide a reduced area for the snow blade or plow 34. The snow blade 34 is fixedly secured in the recessed area and to the bottom wall 31 in a position so that when the open end of the bucket is disposed substantially upwardly, the snow blade 34 is positioned substantially vertically for snow-removal operations. The snow blade 34 is further positioned so that when the bottom wall 31 of the bucket 28 is disposed substantially in the loading or bucket-filling position with not interfere with the loading of the bucket. The rear wall 32 of the bucket 23 is provided with a plurality of holes 36 extending in a spaced pattern between the side walls 29. The bucket 28 is further provided with three vaned agitator rotors 37, 38, and 39. The agitator rotor 38 is carried in the rearward portion of the bucket, and the shaft thereof is journaled through the side walls 29. The agitator rotor 38 is provided to prevent bridging of the holes 36 by the sand or other material in the bucket. Ground-engaging wheels 48 are keyed to the ends of the shaft of the rotor 38. Thus, it may be seen that when the bucket is disposed in a position, such as shown in FIGURES l and. 3, movement of the tractor will cause rotation of the wheels 40 due to rolling contact thereof with the ground to, in turn, cause rotation of the rotor 38. The left-end portion of the shaft of the rotor 38 outwardly of the side wall 29 and inwardly the left ground wheel 40 is provided with two sprocket wheels 41 and 42, which are keyed thereon. These sprocket wheels are provided for driving the rotors 37 and 39. Rotor 37 is carried in the upper forward portion of the bucket 28 and the shaft thereof is journaled through the side walls 29 of the bucket 28. The left end of the shaft of the rotor 37 is provided with a sprocket wheel 43 and a sprocket chain 44 is carried about sprocket Wheels 43 and 42 so that rotor 37 is rotated simultaneously with rotor 38. A similar arrangement is provided for rotor 39. Rotor 39 is carried in the lower portion of the bucket 28 between the forward and rearward ends thereof, and the shaft thereof is journaled through the side walls 29 of the bucket 28. A sprocket wheel 45 is keyed to the left end of the shaft of the rotor 39 and a sprocket chain 46 is carried on sprocket wheels 45 and 41 to cause rotation of the rotor 39 with rotation of the rotor 38.

The bucket 28 is operatively carried on the tractor by means of a pair of flanges 48. A pair of flanges 48 are secured in spaced-apart relationship to each other on the rearward portion of the upper wall 30 of the bucket 28. Pin means 49 pivotally interconnects the forward end of the boom 14 with the rearward end of each flange 48. Pin means 50 interconnects the forward end of each link 22 with the forward portion of each of the flanges 48.

Turning next to a detailed description of the operation of the first embodiment, in order that the construction thereof can be more readily understood and assuming that the bucket 28 is loaded with a material such as sand, the boom 14 is adjusted by hydraulic rams 16 until the wheels 40 of the bucket 28 engage the ground and the hydraulic rams 20 are adjusted to provide proper angle of the snow blade 34 to the snow which is to be scraped. It may be seen that when the hydraulic rams 20 are extended, the levers 21 are rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FiGURE 1, to cause the bucket 28 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URE 1, about the axis of the shaft of the rotor 38. This operation of the hydraulic rams 20 will result in a raising of the lower edge of the blade 34 from the ground. Suitable retractions of the hydraulic rams 20 will result in a pivoting of the blade 34 toward the ground about the axis of the rotor 38 to position the snow blade '34 for scraping accumulations of snow from a roadway. With the forward movement of the tractor, wheels 40' will be rotated to rotate the rotors 37, 38, and 39 to prevent the sand in the bucket from bridging the holes 36 as the sand drops through those holes onto the roadway. When all of the sand has dropped from the bucket 28, it may again be refilled from a pile upon the ground by first extending the hydraulic rams 16 to raise the boom 14 to a position, such as shown in FIGURE 4. The hydraulic rams 20 are then retracted to cause the bucket 28 to be pivoted forwardly until the bottom Wall 31 is disposed on the ground, such as shown in FIGURE 4. The tractor is then moved forwardly to project the bucket 28 and the cutting edge 33 into the sand pile again filling the bucket. The hydraulic rams are then extended to return the bucket 28 to a position, such as shown in the dotted lines in FIGURE 4, and the boom 14 is then lowered to again bring the wheels and the snow blade 34 in contact with the ground.

Turning next to a detailed description of the construc tion of the second embodiment of the present invention, the parts thereof which are substantially identical with the parts of the first embodiment are indicated by the same numerals and need not again be described in detail. In the second embodiment of the present invention, agitator rotor 52 is substituted for agitator rotor 38, and agitator rotor 53 is substituted for agitator rotor 37. The left end of the shaft of the rotor 52 outwardly of the side .wall 29 of the bucket 23 carries two sprocket wheels 54 and 55. Sprocket wheel 55 engages the sprocket chain 46, which drives sprocket wheel 45 of rotor 39. The agitator rotor 53 is carried in the upper forward portion of the bucket 28 with the shaft thereof extending outwardly from each side wall 29 of the bucket 28. Wheels are keyed on each end of the shaft of the rotor 53 in alignment with the front wheels 11 of the tractor, so that when the bucket 28 is tipped rearwardly about the axis of pin means 49, the wheels 40 will engage the upper forward portions of the wheels 11 in rolling contact therewith. Thus, it may be seen that when the tractor is moved forwardly, the wheels 11 will rotate the wheels 40 to, in turn, rotate the rotor 53. The shaft portion of the rotor 53 outwardly of the left-hand side wall 29 and inwardly of the left-hand wheel 40 is provided with a sprocket wheel 56. The sprocket chain 44 is positioned about sprocket wheels 56 and 54 so that when the rotor 56 is rotated, the rotor 52 is in turn rotated by the sprocket chain 44- and the rotor 39 is in turn rotated by the sprocket chain 46. The wheels 40 and the rotor 53 are so positioned relative to the snow blade 34 that when the wheels 40 engage the wheels 11, as shown in FIGURE 5, the snow blade 34 is positioned substantially upright for the normal snow-removal operation. Some adjustment of the snow blade 34 is provided by suitable movements of the boom 14 raising and lowering the bucket 38, and by of the tractor, is the contact of the forward wheels I] r by the wheels 40 which are keyed at each end of the shaft of the rotor 56. Should one of the forward wheels 11 of the tractor be positioned on ice or some other surface wherein the coefiicient of friction between the tire and the material is extremely low and wherein the other r wheel is on a surface providing good traction, the wheels 40 and the shaft of the rotor 53 will function as a differential lockout device by providing drive from the'slipping wheel to the stationary wheel.

The operation of the second embodiment is substantially similar to that of the first-forward movement of the trac tor causing scraping of any snow accumulations by the blade 34 and further causing operation of the agitator rotors 53, 52, and 39 by the wheels 40. The second em-- lbodiment is also self-loading in a similar manner in that the boom 14 may first be raised to position the bucket 28, such as shown in the dotted lines in FIGURE 8, and the hydraulic rams 2d may then be retracted to position the bucket in the solid line position shown in FIGURE 8 for refilling of the bucket 28 with the sand or other suitable material. In the filling operation of the bucket 28, the snow blade 34- will not interfere with the easy and convenient filling of the bucket.

Having described the invention, what is considered new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

l. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including load-releasing means, rneans pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom means so that said bucket is positionable in a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and in a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively pivoting said bucket about said pivotal mounting means to said load-releasing and loadfilling positions, a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall, said scraper blade and said bottom wall being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned to permit said bucket to be disposed substantially at ground level in the load-filling position of said bucket.

2. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including loadreleasing means, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is positionable in a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and in a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively pivoting said bucket to said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket for agitating any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means when said bucket is in said load-releasing position, a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said scraper blade being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said loadfilling position said scraper blade is positioned to permit said bucket to be disposed substantially at ground level in the load-filling position of said bucket.

3. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubher-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including load-releasing means, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is positionable in a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and in a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively pivoting said bucket to said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket for agitating any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, means carried by said bucket to operate said load agitator means responsive to forward movements of said tractor, a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said scraper blade being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned to 6 permit said bucket to "be disposed substantially at ground level in the load-filling position of said bucket.

4. A material-handling device having a four-Wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including load-releasing means, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is positionable in a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and in a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively pivoting said bucket to said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket and operable to agitate any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said scraper blade being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned to permit said bucket to be disposed substantially at ground level in the load-filling position of said bucket, wheel means carried by said bucket and operatively connected to said load agitator means, said wheel means positioned on said bucket so that when said bucket is disposed in said loadreleasing position the lower marginal edge of said scraper blade is positioned at ground level and said wheel means engages the ground in rolling contact so that said load agitator means is operated responsive to forward movements of said tractor.

5. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including loadreleasing means, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is positionable in a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and in a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively pivoting said bucket to said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket and operable to agitate any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, wheel means carried by said bucket and operatively connected to said load agitator means to operate said load agitator means responsive to rotations of said wheel means, said wheel means positioned on said bucket so that said wheel means engages the forward wheels of said tractor in rolling contact when said bucket is disposed in the load-releasing position and said boom is in a lowered position, a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said scraper blade being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in a load-filling position said scraper blade 8 by a top wall and a bottom Wall converging to a rear wall with the forward end of said bucket being substantially open, flange means secured to the top wall of said bucket substantially adjacent the connection thereof with said r ar wall, said flange means pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom and said linkage means so that said bucket is movable to a load-releasing position with the open end of said bucket disposed substantially above said rear wall and to a load-filling position with said rear wall disposed substantially rearwardly of said open end of said bucket responsive to operations of said boom and linkage means, and a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall of said bucket and being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said leadiilling position said scrapper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall of said bucket.

7. A material-handling device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said bucket further including at the rearward end a load releasing means, and said bucket is provided with load agitator means operating responsive to the forward movement of said tractor when said bucket is in said load-releasing position to agitate any load in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means.

8. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced-apart side walls interconnected by a top wall and a bottom wall converging to a rear wall with the forward end of said bucket being substantially open, means pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is movable to a load-releasing position with the open end of said bucket disposed substantially above said rear wall and to a load-filling position with said rear wall disposed substantially rearwardly of said open end of said bucket, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively positioning said bucket in said load-releasing and load-filling positions, and a scraper blade being formed in an arcuate shape and being positioned vertically and carried fixedly on said bucket bottom wall when said bucket is in substantially said loadreleasing position, so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall of said bucket.

9. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced-apart side walls interconnected by a top wall and a bottom wall converging to a rear wall with the forward end of said bucket being substantially open and with the rearward end thereof including a load-releasing means, means pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is movable to a load-releasing position with the open end of said bucket disposed substantially above said rear wall and to a load-filling position with said rear wall disposed substantially rearwardly of said open end of said bucket, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively positioning said bucket in said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket for agitating any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, and a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall of said bucket and being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall of said bucket.

10. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced-apart side walls interconnected by a top wall and a bottom wall converging to a rear wall with the forward end of said bucket being substantially open and with the rearward end thereof including a load-releasing means, means pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is movable to a load-releasing position with the open end of said bucket disposed substantially above said rear wall and to a load-filling position with said rear wall disposed substantially rearwardly of said open end of said bucket, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively positioning said bucket in said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket and operable to agitate any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, means carried by said bucket to operate said load agitator means responsive to forward movements of said tractor, and a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall of said bucket and being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall of said bucket.

11. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced-apart side walls interconnected by a top wall and a bottom wall converging to a rear wall with the forward end of said bucket being substantially open and with the rearward end thereof including a load-releasing means, means pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is movable to a load-releasing position with the open end of said bucket disposed substantially above said rear wall and to a load-filling position with said rear wall disposed substantially rearwardly of said open end of said bucket, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively positioning said bucket in said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket and operable to agitate any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, wheel means carried by said bucket and connected to operate said load-agitator means responsive to rotations of said wheel means, said wheel means positioned to extend rearwardly of said rear wall so that when said bucket is disposed in said loadreleasing position said wheel means contacts the ground in a lowered position of said boom, and a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall of said bucket and being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said lead filling position said scraper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall of said bucket.

12. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, boom means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced-apart side walls interconnected by a top wall and a bottom wall converging to a rear wall with the forward end of said bucket being substantially open and with the rearward end thereof including a load-releasing means, means pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom so that said bucket is movable to a load-releasing position with the open end of said bucket disposed substantially above said rear wall and to a load-filling position with said rear wall disposed substantially rearwardly of said open end 10 of said bucket, linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and to said bucket for selectively positioning said bucket in said load-releasing and load-filling positions, load agitator means carried by said bucket and operable to agitate any material in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means, wheel means carried by said bucket and connected to operate said load-agitator means responsive to rotations of said wheel means, said wheel means being positioned on said bucket so that said wheel means contacts the forward wheels of said tractor in rolling contact therewith when said bucket is positioned in said load-releasing position and said boom is in a lowered position, and a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall of said bucket and being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when. said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall of said bucket.

13. A material-handling device as claimed in claim 12 wherein said wheel means comprises a shaft journaled through the side walls of said bucket and a pair of wheels keyed one to each end of said shaft, said shaft being of a length so that said pair of wheels are positioned a spaced-apart distance substantially equal to the spacing of said forward wheels of said tractor whereby each wheel of said pair of wheels contacts one of the forward wheels of said tractor in rolling contact therewith so that dependent upon the degree of frictional contact between said pair of wheels and said forward wheels of said tractor are prevented from rotating relative to each other.

14. A material-handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor having a boom and linkage means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spacedapart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including load-releasing means, means on one wall of said bucket pivotally connecting said bucket to the forward end of said boom and said linkage means whereby said bucket is positionable in a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and in a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly, a scraper blade fixedly carried on said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said scraper blade being formed and positioned so that when said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned to permit said bucket to be disposed substantially at ground level in the load-filling position of said bucket, and load agitator means operating responsive to the forward movement of said tractor when said bucket is in said load-releasing position to agitate any load in said bucket to prevent bridging of said load-releasing means.

15. A material handling device having a four-wheel rubber-tired tractor, means operatively connected to the tractor and extending forwardly thereof, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced-apart side walls interconnected by a top and a bottom wall with the forward end being open and with the rearward end including load-releasing means, means pivotally mounting said bucket on said forwardly extending means so that said bucket is selectively positionable and movable from a load-filling position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially forwardly of the tractor and said bucket is selectively positionable and movable from a load-releasing position with the open end of the bucket disposed substantially upwardly of the tractor, and a scraper blade being formed in an arcuate shape and being positioned vertically and carried fixedly on said bucket bottom wall when said bucket is in substantially said load-releasing position, so

11 that When said open end of said bucket is disposed substantially upwardly said scraper blade is disposed in a forward scraping position and so that when said bucket is disposed in said load-filling position said scraper blade is positioned above the forward marginal edge of said 5 bottom wall of said bucket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,288,514 Clutter Dec. 24, 1918 10 12 Leinberger et a1 May 16, Fundom July 28, Upton Nov. 22, Christiansen Apr. 21, Donahoe July 17, Schmidt July 16, SWenson Apr. 8, Blomquist Apr. 15, 

